Strong action should be taken against those who are trying to destabilize Nepali society by exploiting the religious sentiment
As Nepal is heading toward democratic transition, religious fundamentalists and royalists are trying to destabilize the country under the cover of defending Hinduism. These are the people who were kicked out of the power by April’s popular Peoples’ Movement. They were desperately looking for an opportunity to fight back. They found one in the parliament’s historic proclamation that declared Nepal, the world’s only Hindu kingdom, a secular state.
The anarchic mobs of Hindu fundamentalists are not only burning copies of newspaper that wrote in favor of secularism but also trying to exploit the public sentiment in cases like mistreating of a patient by a hospital. The other day, extremists burnt the copies of Kantipur daily with an editorial welcoming the secularism. It is widely believed that extremists were instigating the protest against Kathmandu’s Everest Nursing Home yesterday and the day before yesterday. (article continues after the box)
Contain hooliganism
Editorial of the Kathmandu Post
The recent spate of violence in Butwal, Birgunj and Kathmandu is a signal of imminent large-scale anarchy in the country. Though some minor anarchical incidents during the period of political fluidity may not be that unusual, a serious risk of counter-revolution and civil war cannot be ruled out. The pretext on which doctors were beaten and hospitals vandalized in Butwal and Kathmandu, about 17,000 copies of Kantipur daily burnt to ashes in Birgunj, and the scale of road blockades on Wednesday and Thursday [May 25] in Kathmandu are simply unnatural. These incidents indicate the involvement of certain interest group with vested interest who is trying to flare up violence in the country. The government should take control of the situation and ensure law and order. It cannot take these events lightly as the reactionary forces would always try to prove the people’s government a failure.It is difficult to pinpoint anyone for the recent violence. However, there are suspicions regarding the involvement of either the royalists or the Maoists. The royalist hand is suspected because it would try to play religion card and evoke people’s sentiments. On the other hand, Maoists’ involvement cannot be ruled out because their aspiration to overrun this government and establish their own overnight has not completely died down. We believe that anarchism and hooliganism will help no one. If the royalist were behind this incident, the king would lose whatever position and property he has been left with. And, if the Maoists are involved, they will lose all their credibility and chance to win votes when peaceful elections take place. We don’t believe that the Maoists would try to ruin the upcoming peaceful environment, but there are elements within their party who should be monitored carefully.
Whoever is involved in the incident, the attacks on doctors and hospitals in Kathmandu and Butwal is condemnable. We support the doctors’ call for strike. At the same time, we also urge the doctors to be sympathetic to the problems of the sick and ailing, and limit their strike to only two days. The Post is simply confused and awe-stricken by the behavior of people who burnt our publications at Birgunj. They are a bunch of hooligans. Such anti-social elements should be contained immediately and effectively. Similarly, the disruption of vehicular movement in Kathmandu and subsequent spread of rumors can have serious ramifications. Until and unless the government appoints honest and competent people in key security positions, the idea of good governance will remain an illusion.
The government hasn’t taken any action against these fundamentalists so far. Yesterday Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala took up with King Gyanendra the matter of royalists’ alleged involvement – direct or indirect – in orchestrating anarchy in various parts of the country, reports the Kathmandu Post. According to a highly-placed source [of the Post], PM Koirala gave the example of the involvement of Nanda Kishor Ghirahiya, a member of the dissolved Rajparishad, in inciting violence in the name of religion, during the 75-minute meeting at Narayanhiti Palace. Koirala told the king that “the government would be compelled to take stern action against royalists” if they are not stopped.
Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said on Thursday [May 25] that the government would take strong action against those promoting religious fundamentalism and plotting against democracy, reports eKantipur. Speaking at the House of Representatives, Sitaula said the government was committed to take strong action against those who are carrying out anti-secularist activities for anti-democratic ends. “I assure you that all those plotting against democracy in the name of pushing their fundamentalist ideas will not be spared,” Sitaula told MPs. He also informed that all police and administrative mechanisms have been instructed to take such activities under control.
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Comments
111 responses to “Neutralize Hindu Fundamentalism in Nepal”
MAOBADI, SONIA(Catholic Indian/Italian) have forced SPA to declare Nepal to be non-Hindu…
SHAME on SPA for not speaking up, just to grab unfettered power and pelf….
Hinduism is Secular..Hinduism is as undefined free flowing as any concept of secularism can hope to free the human faith…
dal bhudey..YOU GIVE YOUR ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER…..
So you see – all this is not good for Nepal, esp now that we want to start afresh towards a progressive and a tolerant society.
“Hinduism is Secular..Hinduism is as undefined free flowing as any concept of secularism can hope to free the human faith…”
Shanti – you still dont get the point do you ??
Hinduism is a tolerant religion we agree. But you and I have seen how people use it to exploit/oppress/sideline others. The only solution for a progressive Nepal is to declare it secular.
In a secular Nepal, nobody will stop you to preach/propogate Hinduism or openly practise your religion. And why are you still against it?
Its, say like, there are 10 families in a village (including you) and only you have access to direct drinking water. Rest walk 2 hrs everyday to fetch from a stream. And some foreign project comes along and lays pipes for the rest of 9 families. Your argument is – why did the project lay those pipes or why should the rest have access to water when things were fine before.
By laying pipes in 9 other families, is it affecting your reserve? Is your well drying up? The comparison may sound crude and you might argue saying its not so simple, but I dont see it any other way.
Wake up before its too late. We should be discussing more serious issues than this. Real, practical issues. There is no place for a one-religion nation in a progressive world.
Patriot you say “In a secular Nepal, nobody will stop you to preach/propogate Hinduism or openly practise your religion. And why are you still against it? ”
This is exactly the reason I am against this…
Muslim Fundamentalists from all over the world and Christian Evangelists from all over the world will pour money and nobody will stop them from pouring money and terrorising those whom money cannot buy to convert the poor…ISLAM and CHRISTAINITY look beyond their the borders of their coutry for their targets..Just search the net and see what they are upto as far as conversions is concerned….
I strongly agree with Patriot.we should discuss more serious topic at the moment.
Decleration of secularism neither means supression of hinduism nor the support of any other religion. It simply means that all the religions in our country has equal value. No one is supposed to say or do anything against another religion. we hindus(Though I’m a buddhist,my family practice hinduism)don’t need to panic only because of secularism. Roots of hinduism is so deep in our society money cannot make any change. I have seen so many families who’ve choosen christianity for money and later on returned to their own religion. So, Pals lets widen our toughts and enlighten ourself.Even though our country is declared secular, it will remain hindu nation(majority).
“Please Please Please don’t give any ground to the extremists, we are people of 21st century, we believe in equality,be wise, don’t bee fool being a puppet of extremists” Save our country.
Shanti I don’t think you understand what Patriot said. Christians and Muslims were pouring money and power to Nepal even though nepal was a hindu nation.They won’t stop doing it. Declaration of secularism do not have anything to do with this.To stop spreading other religions, Nepal doesn’t need to be Hindu nation. We, the people needs to be hindu and practice good hunduism. Let’s eliminate jati pratha from hinduism. Let’s make hinduism better so that no one is ignored, humiliated or suppressed in the name caste. Let’s help poor people using money collected in temples. This way hinduism will spread. Only then people stop choosing christianity or any other religion. So Shani be santa..be cool. Hinuism is not so weak. Do not panic. Secularism will not do anything against hinduism. Don’t be fooled by extremists.
new mahabani vis a vis ( like that of laxmi pd devkota )
” manis thulo karma ley huncha ,
dharma ley hudaina ”
shanti… it’s becoming too crowded. can we defer it to some time later ?
because i want to prioritize my things .
first thing first. let me deal with this hindu/hingu whateva his / her blog name.
then deal i will deal with u shanti.
be prepared.
“hinduism hegemony chan bhari lai
secularism juni bhari lai…..”
Hey Hindu fundamentalists-
If you believe Hinud religion does not hurt, ask these lower caste Hindu people:
1. Damai (Nepali/Pariyar etc., tailors/entertainer)
2. Kami (Biswokarma etc., metal workers)
3. Sharki (leather workers)
4. Chayme, Pode.
Etc. who are all untouchable Hindus by Hindu caste standards, the most racist doctrine in human history written by devil named Manu.
For us, Buddhist and non-Hindus, who are outside the caste system, Secularism is a celebration. We are sure, these low-caste hindus are also happy. Nepal was secular before the Hindus came to Nepal, and it will be secular for good. The only reason Nepal became Hindu Kingdom at first place was becase local indigenous people were peaceful, non-violent, and felt pitty on the hindus who came as refugees from the lowland. The hindus have taken advantage of the goodness and hospitality of the local peoople and imposed their racist caste on those who otherwise never knew what the f-ck caste system was. So, if you want to keep this hindu crap as a National system in a country where there’s only four Hindu Jat but 36 non-Hindu Barnas, then you better figure out something else. You are better off going to Kasi alive and young than try to re-overtake the land of the indigenous poeple of various faiths.
Just know that local indegenous people are no dumb no more. We we are awaken, and we undestand the mistreatment of our forefathers by the Hindu caste people, and the centuries long hegemony under the pretext of religion. It’s better off that extremest keep quite because Secularism came in a peaceful process. If the hindu fundamentalists keep insisting and resort to violent, the ultimate end is that they will have to flee to where they originally came from and where their brain-washing-machine-gurus still live. Just be careful about your religious agendas. That’s all we are going to say for now.
I share the fear of many of you though that Christians will probably take the most advantage of this situtaion. If anything, Christians bring divison among families, preach hatred and violence against those who do not believe Jesus as their god. We have seen this in many countries, including East Timor and many former soviate countries, where Christianity is the growing religion with high poverty, prostitution and drugs. Mind that Iraq war was fundamentally a religious war and many front-line soilders are Christians who can butcher Muslims simply because they are not Christians.
Therefore, Nepal does not need to be careful in protecting it’s culture, perhaps by the ministry of Culture, proposing bills in the HoR that would make any communal provocation based on religion or ideology as criminal/illegal punishible by imprisonment, not for having different faiths of their choices, but imposing their faith and blaspheming other’s religion/culture. No religion has the right to diminish, dehumanize other religion/cultural practice and belief systems, as charted in UN conventions. Those releven UN clauses should be made Nepal’s internal cultural integrity policies to protect its priceless cultures are on the verge of exticnt.
correctoin in above post #61
Therefore, Nepal does need to be careful in protecting it’s culture
another correction, #61
Those releven UN clauses should be made Nepal’s internal cultural integrity policies to protect its priceless cultures that are on the verge of exticnt.
Interestingly read all above, Liked some and I was surprised to read ignorance of many friends above.
Its not debate of religious pride, nor is to politically manipulate vote bank or pretend like you are not just dumb, but also stupidilly blind to ignore all whats happening in Nepal.
First, WHO ARE THESE SPA TO MAKE SUCH HISTORIC ANNOUNCEMENT, WHEN THEY WERE TRUSTED TO GEAR FOR CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY? These announcement isnt even VALID. How can a dissolved house make such proclamations?
They should have left it to People’s choice to select what would they want, HINDU NATION, OR ISLAMIC NEPAL OR CHRISTIAN NEPAL, OR LOK-TANTRA where people’s choice is sidelined?
Further, in response to caste system in Hinduism, My friend, I request, find me any single trace in Hinduism where caste system is written. FYI, there is none. Read Gita if you wish to further know about it. If you wish to bring a change, educate society- which is comprised of all religion people. Do not fire religious issue.
I am ashamed by such a such a irresponsible behavior of Nepalese leaders who just acted puppets of Indian Communists, and Lobbyists of Maoist, for their power greed.
Today, Home Minister who jailed previous Ministers for supressing People’s movement, himself is threatning to supress Movement of Hindu activists in decade long, only Hindu Nation in the world. Is there any ETHICS IN YOU Mr. Sitoula, and All of Nepalese Politicians? IS this how you show your leadership? Do you even have any value, integrity, stand, morale, ethics?
Enchanting Democracy on one side, and advocating freedom of speech, and THREATNING TO jail others while they practise, doesnt sound right.
I request people, please express your rights, respecting others’ rights as well. Remember, good will biggets good will. Thanks.
Pritaz, so much full of bull you are. Read what you just wrote and be ashamed.
Your understanding of the Hindu scriptures is pathetic and your understanding of democracy is the tyranny of the majority. Do you know that this is the single biggest valid criticism of democracy?
This surely has fired up imaginations in and bad blood between the Nepalese. Looks like, in the end, everyone will agree to disagree. This is the beauty of democracy.
right said justice
keep it up , buddy
like u said, indigenous people in nepal now know what their forefathers had been subjected to.
everybody in nepal knows,
why did RAIs ( an indigneous people who were the first ruler of Nepal from Kirat Dynasty ) stopped celebrating DASHAIN from Jan Andolan I.
wanna know why ? ask any RAIs.
similarly, anti-Hindu hegemony and discrimination against Non Hindu and arbritary division of caste based system’s resistance had been brewing in the conscience in all those affected.
this is the climax of all that.
I fully support to Justice..
thanks justice
missioning shouldbe forbidden, apart frombeing secular
Missionaries of various types have been coming here since the time of Ashoka. Are you against freedom of religion?
Kirat,
Who the hell are you to tell others be ashamed first of all of their writing, and What knowledge do you claim to have about Hinduism, why dont you write in better words, rather than just comenting shamelessly on others.
Also, make sure you share your knowledge of democracy before you u find mine full of bull.
So why dont you write in better words, rather than just comenting on others.
YOU ASKED: “”””Do you know that this is the single biggest valid criticism of democracy?”””””
ASK IT TO YRSELF AGAIN BEFORE YOU START WRITING BACK NEXT TIME. Least you can do is write something reply with valid reasoning.
Thanks anyways for yr response.
Pritaz-‘Democracy is the tyranny of the majority’. Do you know what this means?
I guess you have never heard of the word ‘varna’ and the guy called Manu?
Conversion at Full Momentum in Nepal
Posted June 23, 2004
The Organiser
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
June 27, 2004
While on one hand abject poverty and illiteracy have led the Maoists to strengthen their hold over Nepal, on the other, Christian missionaries are trying to convert innocent and poverty ridden Nepalese by offering them enticements of monetary assitance and other aid.
According to the Himalayan Times, the strength of Christians is consistently increasing and as many as 100 churches have been built in Makwanapur district of Nepal. The local people say that nearly 60,000 people of Tamang community have already become Christians. Apart from them, people from Praja community too have become Christians in large numbers. The local population has revealed that both these communities are being converted to Christianity by tempting them with food, clothes and economic assistance.
It may be noted that the majority of population in Makwanapur belongs to Tamang community and the people of both Tamang and Praja communities are quite poor and illiterate. The minds of the converts have been filled with the beleif that Christianity will bring them relief from disease, hunger and poverty. A pastor named Bholan, of a local church, has said that all the churches in the district do not belong to any one community and they have been established with money received from different countries.
A citizen named Hari Gopal Rimal from Kalikatar region of the district has said that about 10 to 15 years ago, any person who read the Bible was sent to prison, but today the situation is such that in Kalikatar area, nearly more than a dozen churches have sprung up very recently. Rimal´s complaint is that the people of the region are promptly taking to Christianity because they are very impressed with the aid they receive from the missionaries during their times of severe crises.
USAID funds Used for Conversion Programs in Nepal
Posted October 9, 2004
Hinduism Today
January 1999
Nepal
The International Organization Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA/Nepal) has generated controversy by proselytizing in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. ADRA is the humanitarian aid branch of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, an international organization. It has ten million members and is worth an estimated $15.6 billion. With 5,400 schools, the church has the largest Christian school system after the Roman Catholics. Critics charge that it has been violating the terms and conditions for operating in Nepal by carrying out illegal conversion activities.
ADRA was the subject of a lengthy two-part critical report in the August 13 and 14, 1998, issues of the Los Angeles Times, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious newspapers. In just the last two years, write investigators Eric Lictblau and Tom Gorman, ADRA received “US$85 million in federal cash, food and freight, plus tens of millions more from other nations.” “The aims of the overseas relief effort are no doubt righteous,” they state, “bringing medicine to the sick, food to the hungry, schooling to the unlearned. But they are entrusted largely with US public funds to do it, and that is the nub of many of the problems. Along with that assistance have come serious questions about how it has been used–from accusations of corruption to complaints of unlawful proselytizing.” It is illegal to use US government money for conversion work, they explain, but the distinction can be hard to maintain. The article quotes a relief worker in Africa, “If I’m going to build a road, I’m going to have it go past an Adventist church.” The article covers global problems with ADRA’s activities internationally and specifically cites the situation in Nepal as an example of the pursuit of conversion goals under the guise of humanitarian aid. Many of the organizations sharing the USAID’s $1.4 billion yearly budget are Christian. The agency attempts to see that the aid is not used for conversion. But the situation is that villagers do not know better and believe the aid being given is dependent upon their converting, even when conversion is not directly demanded as a condition of the aid.
The specific allegations against ADRA Nepal include the use of Asian Aid funds to proselytize students by sending them to study in their colleges in Roorkee and Pune in India; the conversion of students at the Nepal Adventist School by insisting they to attend the Banepa City Church operated in the student’s hostel in Banepa; the misuse of duty-free facility to import recording equipment by recording Christian materials; and in covert programs of proselytization.
The matter came to a head a year ago when veteran leader of the UML political party and former Education Minister Modnath Prashrit said that ADRA Nepal is carrying on religious conversion by spending millions of rupees. ADRA denied all allegations made against the organization.
Following the formal complaint lodged against ADRA with the Ministry of Health, a committee was formed under the convenorship of Dr. Durga Prasad Manandhar, Special Secretary of Ministry of Health. The Committee requested ADRA to stop raising funds for the Adventist School in Banepa, shut down its recording studio and in general adhere to the guidelines set down when the organization entered the country.
At a press conference convened by the Nepal-based World Hindu Federation figures were presented showing that by 1998 over 400,000 people in Nepal have been converted to Christianity, up from 5 in 1951. They claimed that many of the 81 international non-governmental organizations working in Nepal engage in conversion to some degree. They pointed out that the combined budgets of the INGOs is equal to half of Nepal’s total government expenditures, giving the INGO’s extraordinary influence. Gyanendra Ghale, a disgruntled former employee of ADRA, presented audio and visual facts during the WHF press conference in which he showed how USAID grants were used by ADRA for conversion in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. He has dozens of internal documents to back up his charges. Subsequent to these revelations, the government changed in Nepal, and the new government was unwilling to imperil badly needed foreign aid by pursuing the charges against ADRA–who tactfully curtailed their more controversial projects.
It is illegal to convert a person in Nepal to another religion, but the law is not enforced. A man is liable to be imprisoned for three years if found trying to convert a person, six years if successful. But since 1990, no person has been imprisoned, although hundreds of thousands have been converted. Networking among the Hindu organizations will greatly help to expose the missionaries involved. If not done, the Hindus will have a great price to pay for their indifference.
Christian converts on the rise in Makwanpur, Nepal
Posted September 6, 2004
Bhanu Bhakta Acharya
Makwanpur, June 4
Himalayan Times
There’s an alarming rise in the number of Christians in the district. More than a 100 churches have come up, according to a local pastor, Bhanu Bhakta Bholan. And, if other locals are to believed, there are around 60,000 Christians from the Tamang community alone in the district. There is a large number of converts from the Praja community too, say locals who allege that those from the Tamang and Praja communities are being lured to become Christians with offers of food, clothes and monetary help. Every Saturday, Atinath Praja attends church along with 35 others to pray for amelioration of their problems. These residents of Kaankada, Ward No 4, have converted. Altogether, there are 21 churches in Kaankada VDC and every Saturday people attend church, said pastor Tul Bahadur Praja of Chamanti Church.
The majority in Makwanpur are Tamangs and the converts are mainly the illiterate and poor from communities like Praja and Tamang. The converts believe Christianity is the panacea for disease, hunger and agony. Pastor Bholan, who is also a member of the Pastor Association, said the 100 churches in the district are not linked to each other, adding that the funds for church construction come from different countries. Hari Gopal Rimal of Kalikatar said that 15 years ago he was jailed for two days because he used to read the Bible. Rimal said now there were more than a dozen churches in Kalikatar. Rimal added that people were increasingly turning towards Christianity because Christians distributed relief materials and clothes to flood and landslide victims in 1993, 2002 and 200
The Church at the Top of the World
Posted April 16, 2004
By Anil Stephen in Katmandu
Christianity Today
Introductory Comment By Mayalu
Nepal has more than 4,00,000 Christians today and Nepal is considered to be having fastest growth of Christian population in the world says Mr. Anil Stephen in Christian Today Magazine. Nepal once considered to be one of the most peaceful countries has turned out to be a country burning with conflicts after the Christian Conversions Game started in Nepal. Is it a coincidence or there is some spiritual or political connection?
Here is an eye-opening article by Mr. Anil Stephen, who has seemingly converted himself to Christianity recently:
It is Saturday in Nepal, and hundreds of people dressed in their best churchgoing clothes crowd together outside a large hall in the capital city of Katmandu.
Saluting each other with folded hands and saying “Jai Masih” (the Nepali expression for “Praise the Lord”), they take off their shoes, making their way inside to squat on a carpeted floor just before 10:30 a.m. Except for a handful of expatriates, the Nepali Isai Mandali (Gyaneshwor) Church is filled with first-generation Nepali Christians who have braved social and religious constraints to follow Jesus Christ. Every inch of space is taken and those who are late reluctantly sit outside. At the first strains of a Nepali song, all 2,000 hands, young and old, lift in praise to God. This amazing sight brings tears to my eyes. Ten years ago an open church meeting of this nature would have been impossible. The days when government agents infiltrated churches as spies, and Christians were persecuted or imprisoned, are also long gone. Three decades ago, two Nepali Christians, Robert Karthak and Laxmi Prasad Neupane, climbed the Himalayan Mountains, crossed rivers, and walked 15 miles a day to visit inaccessible villages across this nation of 23.2 million people. Each time they stumbled across a village, they stopped to sing a few songs, share their testimony, and hand out gospel tracts to those who could read. They journeyed for 45 days, sleeping under the stars and wearing out five pairs of shoes, ever aware that they could be arrested by the police and jailed on charges of breaking the law and proselytizing.
It was not until many years had passed that Karthak and Neupane began to meet new Christians from some of the villages they had visited. “No one remembered us,” says Neupane, an upper-caste Brahmin Hindu convert and director of the Inter national Bible Society in Nepal. “We did our work secretly as we could be arrested at any time, and prayed that God would pour out his Spirit. We are now seeing the fruit of the seeds which we sowed many years ago. God’s Word never returns void.”
“I was often called in by the police, and had to move several times as we were not allowed to have worship services,” says Karthak, senior pastor of Gyaneshwor Church in Katmandu. “We could not declare ourselves as Christians openly, so we started in a small way as the constitution prevented us from preaching.”
LOW-KEY CHRISTIAN PRESENCE
From 15,000 in 1970 to an estimated 400,000 Christians today, Nepal has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations among the 3.6 billion people throughout Asia’s 51 countries, according to scholars in Christian missions.
“It is very encouraging to note that in about 45 years two percent of the population became followers of Christ,” says Thirtha Thapa, president of the National Christian Society.
Nepal has always considered itself in a unique but precarious situation. Land locked, Nepal is situated between the world’s two most populated countries, India and China. With a per capita income of $210 annually, it is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and has virtually no middle class. The majority of Nepalis are Hindus and Buddhists. In many areas, the two religions blend into folk rituals, festivals, and worship.
Katmandu rests in the shadows of the Himalayas and is densely populated; its streets are narrow and crowded. Life here is unhurried and most people are easygoing and leisure-loving. Tourists and trekkers come to Kat mandu to visit the innumerable shrines and temples that dot the landscape.
Although there are thousands of Christians in Katmandu, their presence is barely discernible. The sole traditional churchlike structure in Katmandu is Catholic and lies secluded off a main road set among houses. After meeting informally for five decades in the Jesuit-run St. Xavier’s School, the Catholics registered as a nonreligious, nongovernment organization in 1993, calling it the Nepal Catholic Society. This gave them the right to buy property for the community.
The Catholic organization bought a piece of property from another Christian who ran an orphanage and Bible school. Work on the Assumption Church complex started in 1993 and a cathedral was completed four years later in 1997.
Other believers meet in homes and rented halls, but there are no signboards to announce the Christian presence. For example, Gyaneshwor Church is identified by a small sign at the gate, while Christian offices and bookshops are not identified at all. Christian groups are not allowed to register with the government as openly Christian.
QUEST FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
The pursuit of religious freedom, outside of Hinduism or Buddhism, has had a painful history in Nepal. Hindu and Buddhist traditions formed a historic bulwark against the growth of Christianity. Eighteenth-century Jesuit missionaries were the first to enter Nepal as they found varying routes through the Himalayas to Tibet. They established a small mission, and a community of 57 Christian converts lived in the Nepal valley until they were banished from the kingdom. Ever since King Prithvi Narayan Shah expelled Catholic Capuchin priests in 1760, the policy of the Nepali government had been to prevent Christians from entering the country and to mistreat those who managed to do so. For centuries, Nepal was unusually isolated.
But as natural disasters or epidemics hit the land, many Nepalis crossed the border into India in pursuit of a better life. Some were drawn into India’s Christian enclaves, beginning a vibrant ethnic Nepali church within India.
William Carey, the legendary British missionary who spent a lifetime in India, was the first to recognize the need for a Nepali Bible. He started translating the New Testament in 1812 in Serampore, India, completing the New Testament in 1821. Ganga Prasad Pradhan, a Nepali pastor, translated the entire Bible into Nepali in 1914. Until Nepalis published Bibles within the country, they imported Bibles from India—but those were often seized by customs officials. Today, the New Testament has been translated into colloquial Nepali and 10,000 copies of the Gospel of Mark designed especially for children have been distributed in recent months.
The year 1990 is often referred to as a defining moment in Nepal’s history, when democracy and religious freedom gained new ground. Since 1961, King Mahendra had exercised autocratic control of the country—in part by banning political parties and introducing Panchayat, a traditional Hindu form of local governing councils.
Under Panchayat, Christians (as well as other distrusted groups) were persecuted and at least 300 pastors and Christians were jailed. Many Christians suffered police brutality, and at least one died because of it. Through this difficult time, the church was driven underground and Nepali Christians practiced secret lives of prayer.
As repressions grew more commonplace, resistance to the monarchy gained strength. In 1990, pent-up demands for reform triggered civil unrest on a massive scale. Eventually, the Nepali Congress Party gained majority control of the new parliament, leading to many other democratic reforms and setting the stage for a significant growth of Christianity in Nepal.
The primary responsibility of taking the gospel to the people has rested on the Nepali church from the very beginning.
Women played a key role in establishing the church in Nepal and continue to do so. Two women, Gyani Shah (an early Nepali convert) and Elizabeth Franklin (a missionary with Regions Beyond Missionary Union), were instrumental in establishing two of the oldest churches in Katmandu: Putali Sadak Church and Nepali Isai Mandali (Gyaneshwor) Church.
Their example has multiplied many times during the last 50 years.
Since most Nepali congregations are the result of work by Nepalis themselves, Christians from Nepal are evangelists at heart. Nepali Christians—many of whom are illiterate—share the gospel frequently and informally, sometimes over a cup of hot tea. Crusade-style evangelism is unknown to them.
Silas Bogati, a Catholic deacon in Katmandu preparing to enter the priesthood in August, says he became a Christian after a man gave him a gospel tract. “I was born and raised as a Hindu till I was 19. The Christian message of love really appealed to me when a man on the street shared with me John 3:16. Then I started attending Bible courses and became a Christian.”
The zeal of Christians has been infectious. Nepali Christians attribute church growth to miracles, prayers, and Jesus’ continuing acts of healing and deliverance. Nepali Christians say their neighbors often call them to pray because sick people are healed and the demon-possessed are set free. Gopaljee Adhikari of the Lord’s Church recounts a miracle in his congregation: “A man brought his brother who was paralyzed. We prayed for him, and two weeks later he was healed and came on his own to church.”
Miracles are a powerful testimony to the community. “At least 40 to 60 percent of the Nepali church became Christians as a direct result of a miracle,” says Sandy Anderson of the Sowers Ministry. “Most times the people do not know what we are talking about when we preach the gospel. That’s why it is very important to demonstrate the gospel. We preach. Then God heals the sick when we pray. The gospel is not only preached but demonstrated in Nepal.”
CHANGING RELIGION, NOT CULTURE
Even though Nepal is a parliamentary monarchy and democratic reforms are in place, the old feudal caste system remains influential.
The Nepalis are highly religious and consider Hinduism their cultural wellspring. Nepali Hindus see Christianity as a foreign, cow-eating religion. (In Hinduism, the cow is revered as a god.) Public criticism of Christianity is accepted and vitriolic. For the past year, Nepal’s mass media have launched an extensive campaign against Christians, accusing them of destroying the Nepalese culture.
A Nepali Hindu who becomes a Christian “breaks caste”—an action that has dramatic personal, family, and social consequences. Chirendra Satyal’s grandfather was a Brahmin priest to rulers of the country. “When I became a Christian, I tried to tell people that I was only changing my religion and not my culture,” says Satyal, now an active Catholic journalist. “But they were skeptical.” The media also describe believers as terrorists or illegal residents. Most Christians tend to ignore such accusations. “[The media] are putting psychological pressure on us,” says Adhikari. “We just have to pray and face the situation.”
To counter the criticism, the people of Siabru, near Helembu Mountain, decided to express their faith in sync with their culture. Historically Buddhist, they once followed the age-old custom of flying Buddhist prayer flags around their village for protection from evil. When they became Christians, they decided to maintain their culture and style of worship and still follow the traditional Buddhist style of singing, but substituted Christian words. They also kept the prayer flags but instead of having Buddhist scriptures they inscribed Bible verses.
As more foreigners visit Nepal, more Christian groups, mostly Protestant and from the wealthy West, are trying to initiate ministry within the country.
“Nepal has become a mission tourist center,” says Narayan Sharma of Gospel for Asia. But some Protestant groups have maintained a successful presence in the country for decades. TEAM, an interdenominational agency, dates its presence in Nepal to 1892. Today, more than a dozen American mission groups have more than 100 personnel in Nepal. In most cases, the Nepali government requires outside agencies to agree not to proselytize.
“If you want to help the church in Nepal, don’t just pour in money,” Anderson says. “Build relationships before you support anyone. Give money and resources to men and women of credibility.”
According to Nepali church leaders, a troubling offshoot of the growth in missions spending is that a few Nepali church leaders live “like millionaires and drive fancy cars.” Local leaders say giving money to individuals rather than to church groups has done much harm and brought disgrace to Christians.
“We have tried to talk to our friends and yet they get their support from outside,” Karthak says ruefully. “I tried to help some of the church leaders by asking them why they don’t teach their people to give to the Lord’s work.” Karthak himself has taken a cautious approach and is not dependent on outside funding.
Despite differences over money or doctrine, Nepali Christians find that their status as a religious minority gives a strong incentive to stick together because discrimination and official harassment still take place. According to Thapa of the National Christian Society, Christians experience discrimination within their families.
“I came from a strong Hindu family and belonged to the Kshatriyas, the second-highest caste family in Nepal,” says Bogati. “When I went back to my village after I became a Christian, one of my uncles would not allow me into the house. I had become an untouchable.”
Additional discrimination takes place within the community. Neighbors consider a change in religion as tantamount to deserting the community and showing contempt for their culture. Peter, a worker with the International Bible Society, and his family were banished from their village when he refused to follow Hindu traditions at his father’s death.
The third level of discrimination is subtle but legal, having a chilling effect on Christian outreach. Christian organizations are not allowed to register as religious entities, giving them no official legal standing. “Even though people are aware of us, the government does not want to register us,” Neupane says. “They ask us to change our names and remove any association with the Bible, but we do not want to lose our identity.”
A HOME, NOT A HOTEL
A common accusation made against churches in Nepal is that Christians are converting the poor by offering financial inducement.
Yet every Saturday at church services, a few more Nepalis make a commitment to Christianity. No one is called to the front to make a public declaration of faith. Instead, converts sign a document affirming that their choice is of their own free will. Christian leaders do not see false charges of financial enticement as a central worry about church growth. They are more inclined to see the fate of new Christians in biblical terms, akin to Jesus’ parable of seeds that grow but are choked by worldly cares and concerns.
“Our approach has been lopsided,” Karthak admits, saying an emphasis on outreach is sometimes out of balance with teaching Christian doctrine to new disciples. “Our churches are like transit camps. We don’t want people to treat the church like a hotel, but a home.”
But Adhikari, while noting the drop out problem, adds: “Not more than 10 percent leave the church. In Nepal, those who make a decision to follow Christ are genuine, and they stick to their newfound faith.” Christians are encouraged to join small groups after their baptism. Nearly 300 such fellowships have mushroomed in Katmandu. But over the years, those fellowships have led to denominational association (which was unknown before 1990) and, in a few cases, splintered congregations.
Such fragmentation has at times cooled religious commitments. “We are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm Christians,” Karthak says. Gospel for Asia’s Sharma is blunt: “We need faithful people. I believe that healings will continue only if there is holiness and godliness in the church.”
After suffering for years, the church in Nepal has found strength in spite of persecution. Now that overt religious persecution has declined, Christians in Nepal are reassessing their purpose and overall mission. One enduring realization is that Christians in Nepal remain vulnerable. There were several incidents of official harassment in 1999. If Nepali law is strictly enforced, severe restrictions on Christians could again be in effect. Faced with this dilemma, Nepali Christians ask themselves: Does the church in Nepal fear persecution in the future? It is a question that many do not want to consider.
“I feel there will be persecution, but there are people within Nepali society who believe in human rights and will stand up for us,” Satyal says.
Another church leader says he is not worried. He just reprises Saint Paul’s words: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first the Jew, then also the Gentile and the Nepali Christian.”
In 1986, Gyani Shah challenged Nepali men and women never to be proud while serving the Lord, for pride causes loss of opportunity. The church in Nepal now heeds that advice as it prepares for the twenty-first century. In this newfound freedom, churches are springing up all over the country representing most ethnic groups and castes in this movement to Christ.
The Nepali church is no longer solely focused on itself, but is starting churches in Dubai, India, and other Asian countries. It is a big step of faith.
Nepali missions leaders say their goal is to “remain faceless” to be of use to Christians throughout Asia. That unusual quality is something Nepali Christians possess in abundance.
Statistics and Facts from the Joshua Project
Posted September 18, 2004
The Joshua Project
joshuaproject.net
Here are some facts from the website of the most aggressive evangelical movement, the Joshua Project, which is trying to convert the whole world to Christianity and build a church in every zip-code in co-operation with the CIA.
• Of the world’s 16,158 ethnic people groups by country, 5,931 (37%) are primarily Christian, totaling over 2,000,000,000, or nearly one third the world’s population.
• 9,237 people groups by country are NOT Least-Reached, totaling 3,777,203,000 individuals, or about 60% of the world’s population.
• 1,640 of the Least-Reached groups are NOT in the 10/40 Window, totaling 369,111,000 individuals. These groups are relatively accessible to the Good News of the Gospel.
• Of the 6,921 Least-Reached people groups, about 3,725 (54%) are small groups under 10,000 in population (or population unknown) and all these groups total less than 20,000,000 individuals. Of the remaining 3,196 least-reached groups, about 1,391 are under 50,000 in population. That leaves 1,805 Least-Reached groups 50,000 and over in population. A vibrant church in a large group may take the gospel to a number of smaller satellite people groups that have ethnic similarities.
• Of the world’s 6,469 living languages (Ethnologue total), 3,805 have either/all Bible portions, the Jesus film, gospel radio, or gospel recordings. Total speakers of these languages is 6,100,000,000, or over 95% of the world’s population.
• Of 234 total countries, 167 (71%) are Christian-majority countries. Total population for these countries is 2,320,000,000.
• There are 10,311 ethnic people groups identified in the Joshua Project database, and 16,158 people-in-country groups, counting each group once per country of residence.
• There are 7,717 people groups (of the 16,158) with fewer than 10,000 individuals, in addition there are 979 for which no population has been reported (but the population is probably small). For all these small groups, the total number of individuals is less than 20,000,000 meaning that 54% of the 16,158 people groups contain only a tiny fraction of the world’s population.
• Of the 16,158 total groups, Joshua Project has identified 6,921 as Least-Reached, totaling 2,541,297,000 individuals. Of these 6,921 groups, 5,281 are in 10/40 Window countries. That means 76% of the unreached / least-reached people groups are in the 10/40 Window.
• The largest least-reached group is the Japanese, with over 120,000,000 individuals.
• 3,195 groups are primarily Muslim, totaling nearly 1,300,000,000 individuals.
• 2,441 groups are primarily Hindu, totaling about 900,000,000 individuals.
• 511 groups are primarily Buddhist, totaling nearly 375,000,000 individuals.
• 5,931 groups are primarily Christian, totaling over 2,000,000,000 individuals. “Christian” is defined here as Christian adherents, not restricted to evangelicals.
• The Mandarin Chinese is the largest people group, being in 98 countries with a total of about 793,000,000 individuals, and with 783,000,000 of those in China.
• Jews are found in 130 countries, Arabs in 84 countries, and Chinese groups in 117 countries.
• India has the largest number of ethnic people groups, 2,329 in the Joshua Project database. (The number of people groups in India varies greatly depending on the researcher and how the term “people group” is defined. Strictly linguistically there are about 330 – 350 “people groups” in India. Some suggest the 2,329 groups in the Joshua Project list should be sub-divided into groups by Indian state, producing a total of about 4,700). For further information, see the ethno-linguistic vs. ethnic discussion on the definitions page.
• Papua New Guinea is the runner-up in number of people groups, at 881. Interestingly, the largest group of these 881 is only 270,000 in population. The total population of the country is only 5,700,000, yet there are nearly 900 people groups. Indonesia (782) and Nigeria (556) follow Papua New Guinea.
• On the other end of the spectrum, South Korea only has seven people groups, with a country population of 47,700,000.
• There are 1,059 languages/dialects spoken in Papua New Guinea. There are only 47 languages/dialects spoken in Japan, which has a population over 25 times as large as Papua New Guinea. The diversity of Papua New Guinea and the homogeneity of Japan!
• In India, one people group (the Gond) speaks 78 languages. 1,402 groups (out of the total of 2,329) speak more than one language.
• One people group in India (Nai), has 70 alternate names. 4,000 of the over 16,000 total peoples-by-country have more than one alternate people name.
• Of the 16,158 people groups in the Joshua Project database, 13% speak more than one language ignoring dialects, and 24% if dialects are included.
• 66 countries have GDP per capita less than $1,000.
• There are 51 Muslim majority countries, of which 23 have GDP per capita less than $1,000 (710,000,000 individuals). This includes oil revenues. None of the Muslim countries are identified as Developed by the World Bank.
• There are four Hindu majority countries, of which three (India-$459, Nepal-$239, Guyana-$936) have GDP per capita less than $1,000 (1,100,000,000 individuals). None of the Hindu countries are identified as Developed.
• There are 167 Christian majority countries, of which 33 have GDP per capita less than $1,000 and 129 exceed $999. 32 Christian majority countries are identified as Developed by the World Bank.
• There are about 6,800 living languages in the world, as identified by the Ethnologue. 4,216 are without Scripture portions available, with some 450,000,000 speakers.
• There are 825 languages with the Jesus film available, 301 with Gospel radio available, and 3,471 with Gospel recordings available (plus approximately 2000 language recordings that have not had Ethnologue codes assigned yet). 2,664 languages have none of these resources available, with about 195,000,000 speakers.
The Politics of Caste in Conversion
Posted September 13, 2005
By Sandhya Jain
Organiser
September 11, 2005
The recent Supreme Court judgment discouraging additions to the list of religious minorities and the Central Government’s failure to arrive at a consensus over the Women’s Reservation Bill provide an occasion to debate the meaning of caste and religion, and their usage as instruments of reservation benefits.
From the time of the British Raj, caste has been used to berate Hindu society and has acquired negative connotations in public discourse. Though political parties canvass mass support through caste affiliations, political discourse labels it illegitimate. Even constitutional affirmative action for underprivileged castes is used to put upper caste Hindu society in the dock, though efforts are on to extend the use of caste for political ends. At present, organised religious minorities have launched a virtual crusade for the benefits of caste-based reservations. We need to examine the merits of this quest in terms of the genesis of caste and its applicability to those who have seceded from the Hindu fold.
Caste, the Portuguese name for the Hindu jati and gotra, is simply the organising principle of ancient Indian society. It was the means by which diverse groups in society were integrated and mutual conflicts resolved, on the matrix of an evolving dharma. Both caste and dharma emphasised heredity because ancestry (gotra) was imperative as the spirits of the ancestors had to be invoked in all social sacraments (samskara) to establish the individual’s worthiness to receive the sacrament.
Though apparently restrictive, all groups accepted the heredity principle and “created” ancestries and fabled origins as they progressed in life. The Mundas of Chotanagpur, who were originally organised into exogamous sects called Kilis, changed their Kilis into Gotras. Thus Sandi Kili became Sandil Gotra and Nom Tuti Kili evolved into Bhoj-Raj-Gotra. The Koch tribes of Assam metamorphosed into Bhanga-Kshatriya or Rajbansi, and claimed affinity with Rajputs.
Caste or jati is rooted in the tribal concept of gotra. Sociologists have traced the origins of the Barabhum royal family in eastern India to the Bhumij of the ancient Gulgu clan. The early forts of the Barabhum rajas were at Pabanpur (near Bhula, burial ground of the clan) and Bhuni, where the royal (tribal) Goddess Koteshwari had her sacred grove. But when the Bhumij chiefs claimed Rajput status, they shed their tribal affiliations by renouncing the clan ossuary at Bhula. A similar process was discerned among the tribal Bhumij of Baghmundi and the Manbhum Bhumij. The Bhumij are organised in patrilineal exogamous clans (gotras) affiliated to ancestral villages where the clan ossuaries are located. Gotra is thus the organising principle of tribal societies and the key constituent of Hindu social identity.
Given this reality, the question arises whether individuals and groups who have renounced their Hindu identity should get the benefits of a caste identity. Today, amidst mounting evidence that SC/ST reservations in educational institutions are being surreptitiously cornered by non-Hindus, some are asking why individuals who reject their Hindu identity should retain their caste names and thus mislead society.
It is well known that both Christianity and Islam systematically wiped out the traditional religion and culture in the lands where they spread. Christianity humbled Europe through untold brutality, and the Pope’s talk of Europe’s “Christian roots” cannot disguise the truth that the religion is a cruel imposition of only 2000 years. As for the genocides against the native peoples of North and South America, Australia, and the enslavement of Africa, the less said the better. Islam, similarly, triumphed by wiping out traditional communities (including Christian) where it became dominant.
My point is that both these religions have shown zero tolerance for even vestiges of the old religions in regions where they came to have sway. Both have periodically launched movements against “heretics” and resisted the liberalisation of dogma. While Islam today has the tabligh movement to cleanse Muslim adherents of old practices of their former faith traditions, Christian clergy are engaged in battle with the modern god called “secularism”.
Tolerance of, or co-existence with, old faith identities is therefore ruled out in both religions. In India, they do not even respect the right of the Hindu community to remain the majority community, and persist with aggressive attempts at conversions, vitiating the atmosphere all over the country. It therefore makes little sense to permit so-called Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims to garner reservation benefits intended to overcome social disabilities of Hindu society. If erstwhile Dalits find that Christianity and Islam mistreat them, they must approach appropriate judicial forums for redressal of their grievances or come back to the Hindu fold.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has rendered a sterling service by discouraging the trend towards listing distinct religious groups as “minority communities”. Indeed, as Swami Dayanand Saraswati pointed out in his reaction to the judgment, there are sound reasons why we should reject the classification of minorities on religious grounds. What is happening is that in India transnational religions with enormous numerical, economic and political clouts are claiming privileges as minorities.
India’s religious minorities have access to the enormous resource base of their global co-religionists, yet seek benefits that should go to more needy and deprived sections. The Vatican in Rome caters to the interests of Catholics, while the World Council of Churches in Geneva looks after Protestants. The 2.1 billion-strong Christian community constitutes one-third of the world population, and its clout and reach extends beyond national boundaries, as does that of Islam. Adherents of these transnational faiths, therefore, cannot legitimately be designated as minorities.
The Supreme Court rightly feels that classification of groups as minorities is “a serious jolt to the secular structure of constitutional democracy”. Not only would it generate “feelings of multi-nationalism in various sections of the people,” but it would hinder national integration. The judgment should serve as a stepping stone in the direction of abolishing the category of minority in the Constitution. The educational and cultural rights of all groups can be protected by equal laws for all educational and cultural institutions—it is time to level the playing field.
Hey! Daal bhudey, I was looking for you all over the place. did not find a single person with white shirt, in jeans and with a bag pack. All I saw worshipers, men and women. I did not see you. Were you hiding behind the big bull? Or behind the lord’s door? Or where you hiding from truth. Believe it or not, I believe in equality and democracy like everyone else. I pray and plead every religion every god like I do mine.
Nepal, once upon a time was a peace loving nation. We had no differences and no problems. We had pride and faith. But soon we lost everything. We all started killing each other for political differences. What have we gained and what have we lost? Our king, politicians, and Maoist (Prachanda and Babu Ram) are still playing the balls. Its us who fall and die. And they are still playing the game, tall and strong.
Now we have a new issue here. Soon, you will find hindus killing muslims and vise versa. All for what? Just because India wants things to happen and the politicians and the maoist are they solders, should we let them what they feel like. Should not there be somebody a leader to say wrong is wrong and yes to right?
Nepal irrespective of being secular or non-secular, has always respected other religion. But just because some shady politicians without proper people’s referendum decided that we are no more a hindu state, will start a little war here. This little war will spread like a wild fire and soon engulf every thing that stands on its way.
This is the time we can stop this, but not my stopping the pro-hindu movement, but by forcing the politicians inside singa durbar to take back their words. We’ve always respected people and religion for what they are. The most important thing is that we are secular in our hearts.
Daal Bhudey, may god be with you at all times 😉
Hey Mr. Hindu,
Yes u are right we are secular in our hearts. So why can’t we be secular in name(Secular nepal)as well. Don’t worry, being secular won’t harm hinduism.
Look, Nepalis by and large don’t give a damn if their country is Hindu or not. In fact, they’d rather have secularism as that means the country is progressing towards modernism. Almost every modern country in the world is secular.
Frankly, the government should line up all these Shiv-Sena idiots and give them a solid whacking. With bamboo poles. If it was up to me, I’d start with the head of the Shiv Sena. Either tell him to leave the country or spend two years doing hard labor. That would teach his followers.
Screw Hinduism anyway. What has it brought Nepal?
hey hindu
don’t lie. yeah, i can understand u were searchin me from ur fortified house….. u guys are simply pathetic…i wanna forget that.
and FYI there would be no fighting and killing in Nepal,if she becomes secular. But, if guys like you, who has the instinct to think themselves superior by being born in some caste and religion ,( like that of the OLD Ranas – NB : the shree 3’s ) continue to destablise the new found secularism in Nepal, then it sure will get loose.the fire will take all the hindu zealots to the couldron…
i bet u know it, right ?
but, if u are still dumb and wanna know more about secularism and its implications then go via this,,,,,, it will enlighten u
– ????????? ???????????????? ????????? ??? ????????? ??????? ????? ???????????? ??? ? ??????? ????? ??????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??? ????? ????? ? ? ???? ????????? ????? ? ????????? ???? ?? ? ???? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ? ??? ??????? ??????? ???????????????? ????? ???? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ?????? ?- ‘??? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ???? ? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ? ??????? ? ? … ???????? ?????????? ?????, ?? ? ??????? ????????????? ?????? ? ?’ -???? ? ? ??)
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??? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ?????? -?????? ?????????) ????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ???? ? ?????? ????? ?????? ? ??????????? ?????) ???????? ????????, ?????????? ??????? ??? ? ??????? ????? ????????? ????????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ????? ??????? ??????? ???? ? ????? ? ???????????? ???????????, ????, ????, ????, ????????, ?????? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ??? ? ????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? -?????? ??????? ???) ??????? ??????? ????????? ? ?????? ????? ???????? ???? ?????, ???????? ? ?????? ????? ? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ? ??????? ?- ??????????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ?? ???? ???????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ??? ? ???????? ??? ????, ???, ????, ????? ??? ?????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ??? ? ?????????? ????? ??????? ???????? ?????, ‘??? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?’ -???? ?????) ?? ??????? ???, ‘? ????? ?????? ???? ??????????? ??????? ? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ? ????? ???? ???? ????????????? ? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????????? ?’
???????? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ????????? ???? ????? ? ???? ????????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ????? ???? ?????? ? ? ????????? ????? ? ??????? ??????????? ??? ?????? ? ??? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ? ????????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ?????, ???????? ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ???????? ?????????????? ??? ?????, ????? ????? ????????, ?????? ??????, ?????????????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?
?????? ????? ????? -??????) ????????? ?????? ???????? ????? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????????, ??? ??? ??????? ?????????, ??????????? ???? ???????? ??? ? ?????? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ???? ??? ? ????????????????? ????? ?????? ???? ? ? ??? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ? ????????? ????????? -???????????) ???????? ????? ??????? ??????????? ???????? ?????? ? ????????????? ??????? ? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ??????????????? ????? ?????? ???? ? ? ????????? ??????? ????????? ????????? ?????????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?????? ? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ? ?????? ?? ????? ???????? ? ?????? ??????? ????????? ????? ?????? ? ? ????????? ?????, ???????, ????????, ???????, ???????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ? ? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??????????? ?????? ?? ? ????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ??????????- ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ? ???? ????????????? ???? ???? ????????? ??????? ??? ? ????????? ?????? ????????? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????????? ?????????, ??????????, ??????????, ???????????? ???????? ??????????? ???? ???????????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ?????????? ? ? ?? ?????????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? ? ? ??? ?????? ???? ??, ???? ???????? ?????? ? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ? ????? ???? ????? ? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? ? ????????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ????? ??? ???? ? ?
????? ???? ???????????? ???????? ?????????????? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????????? ??????? ????? ?????? ? ????????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ? ? ?????? ??????? ?? ???????????? ??? ????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ? ?? ??????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ??????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????????? ?????? ? ??????? ?????? ?? ? ????? ? ??????? ??????????? ?? ??????? ???? ??????????? ?????? ????? ???? ??????? ?????? ? ???????? ??????? ?
????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???????????? ???????????????? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ?????????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? ? ???? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ??? ??????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ?? ? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ????? ???????????? ?????????? ????? ???, ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??????????????? ???? ???? ?????????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ? ???? ?????? ???????? ????????? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ? .
wGojfb …
Words from the wise. In the name of democracy Nepal is reeling under a threat of total Maoist take over, and now under secularism it is under a verge of religious conflict. Demarcation line is being written, it is just a matter of time.
LL,
You can masquerade and call yourself “LL”..
But a nation cannot change its values for no good reasons…why should Nepal be called secular when Hindu itself means secular…??
Daal Bhudey,
WHY ARE YOU AGAINST HINDUS?? Why must you behave like an intellectual gooon? Why are you against Hindus? Is Hinduism not secular???
shanti, go get a brain. No religion is secular.
nepal should become hindu nation it is their pride. we should kick out maoist who wants christianity to sprad in nepal. nepals pride lies in being world only hindu nation. but people of this great hindu country should allow secularism at all, because hinduism is secular way of life. there is no great thing in the world than hinduism. hinduism is the last surviving great cultural group in this world other culturs have been vanished by private ltd., company like religions like ismal and christianity, i appeal to all nepalese to fight for renaming nepal as hindu republic of nepal. dont believe maoist and western countries. my nepalese brothers please fight for your pride that is hindu.
Please be freindly with hindu organisation of india which will help you to achiewve your goal. please dont believe in communism which vanished in may countries its leaders are dectators. please re install your king but you have to make him liberal by telling him to be patient and all the people unitedly work for the building great hindu republic of nepal. be a citizen of worlds only hindu kingdom. please destroy all the people who are for secular nepal.
the worms are really crawling out of the woodwork…
shanti
i’m afraid, but i must consider u a dumb,
in response to u naming me ? a intellectual goon.
go via my above posts, and u can find a hell lot of reasons why secularism is the geo political currency of this hour and forever.
everybody avoid this kumar, he seems to be an indian expansionist / progpaganda machine.
watch out buddy ( kumar ), this is no place to leave ur croooked opinion.
please please please let us live in peace.
Hey Shanti
What a joke Hindusm is secular re?
Shanti, you don’t seem to understand what ppl are ssaying here. Who taugt you that hinduism is seculer. And keep it in mind that Nepal is announced hindu nation only 50-60(Idon’t know the exact time) years ago. Now you tell me why our country should be hindu country.
I t shoul be seculer so that every religion get same respect from the government.
Yes this kumar is an indian expansionist / progpaganda machine. I agree with you daal bhudey.He is just a f****n s**t.
To Cartoon: You are totally incorrect about the USAID and CIA promoting Christianity. The US principle of separation of church and state would make such activity illegal and cause a huge scandal in the US. Besides that, do you think there are many religious people in the CIA? Or any other intelligence organization?
The hackneyed use of Secularism by the proponent is superfluous. By calling secularism does not mean a thing if by this very action- automatic divide is created. There is a saying” something are best left untouched,” a very applicable to proclamation which did not pass the test of referendum ( more 85% are Hindu) coupled with dictatorial announcement of Nepal being a Secular state. Secular Hindu minds have now suddenly been disrupted, rightly so. Having lofty principle of secularism is hard to bring it down into a ground reality and practices. We do need go any further than India to see, religious disquiets and flares-up.
Do we have separation of Church and State? Do we practice what we preach? Is our Oriental religion institutionalized where funding are allocated for Conversions? Is there a law in place where forced conversion are banned or curtailed. NO, NO, NO. Secularism should not have been proclaimed only after all checks and balances was in place. The act was a total appeasement, nothing more. This is purely a Maoist agenda mixed with missionaries to make Nepal, the only Hindu nation, into a playground for cash rich (Christian), determined (Muslim) and exploiters of social weakness (Western NGOs) to make Hindu a minority within a years time in their own land. I would challenge these proponents of Secularism to speak in Malaysia, China, Saudi Arabia and even in UK.
They talk about social ills that Hinduism has such as caste system and all (perpetuated by Brahmins as in politics now, for their own and only benefit), I ask which religion or society does not have it, name me one? Why the barometer is so high for Nepal? one of the poorest in the world but we aim for issues that even U.S. has hard time to explain and practice, have you heard about Christain Right ? Do you know why the exist? You will see the same here.
Secularism advocates equate Monarchy (all bad, I presume it to be the flavor of the day) with Hinduism and speak of Sanatan Dharma but fail to find pride in being a Hindu as an individual. Its in our character to disparage what we are, our roots, and culture all in the name of being hyper-educated and westernized. We accept all that is foreign (ideas) but discard the richness we as a Hindu nation have.
The divide that secularism will bring to this nation will have manifold effect. Mostly disintegration of a nation ( on ground of religion, communities, race, class, and caste) that is already too fractious and weak to chart its own destiny and future. God save Nepal.
Very valid point ! But being ‘secular’ and advocating ‘secularism’ is a flavor of the month.
That is perhaps the only way to prove that you hold true-blue ‘democratic’ credentials. As of now, ‘no secular’ or ‘hinduism’ is equal to ‘non-democratic’and ‘royalist’.
Personally I hate it but I have to pick up a name here ( Raju, the commentator above ) who has lopsided view to secularim and unfound fear about secularism as a whole.
Taking point wise, his first paragraph of 85% hindu in Nepal is not the truth. The census the govt took in Nepal back in 2001 was highly misleading if not at all absolutely. How can a whole village in upper mustang can be all Hindu ?
like wise a whole village in Bhojpur or Solukhumbu for that matter ? Similarly, if the census is done with thorough explanation of each question they are going to keep as record , they this high number would wither away and establish the truth. Although, it is presumed more than 50% Nepalese are Hindus. Many Nepalese ( mostly people in hills and some in Terai ) practise ANIMISM , which is not Hindu. They seemed to practise Hindu by outsiders but in fact if u observe closely, u will find they are not.
Secondly, his example of taking on India for religious flare ups is idiotic. Can you imagine India being classified a Hindu country ? Can u imagine what human catastropy it would bring there? Man, u must be joking. We msut understand that by making India , a secular country, the religious flare ups has been toned to the least. It is the wiseness of India to enfold all religion to India mainstream.
In the second para, u r thinking of Christians, Maoists, NGOs serve a different purpose. Look why would anyone follow other religion or become convert ? many people have different reasons. Any sensible man would always become a convert for SPIRITUAL WELL BEING. . A man is healthy only when his physical, economic , social and spiritual well being is sound. There is nothing as forced or coerced conversion. Secularism does not mean that conversion on whatever pretext goes unabated. And why do u mention about a few countries where one religion is the supreme than rest ? Talk about more than 90 percent of countries where the state/country is secular in the constitution. Besides, it is only time when they will come to the fold of secularism.
And do u find a caste system in Christianity or Islam or Animism or Buddhism ??
You should not mix the inherent nature of human being to procastinate other people in terms of monetary or economic package with that of religion.
And being secularist Nepalese we have not undermined the richness of Hindus. It is for them to keep up their richness and hold it.
Lastly, secularism would not bring wars or tensions in Nepal. Rather reverting back to Hindu Nepal would incite religious hatred and mistrust among all of us. The HoR proclamation has stood by the need of hour, with this proclamation, they wisely solved the religious anguish brewing in the minds and conscience of all patriotic Non Hindus and like minded secularist Hindus in Nepal. The idiotic inclusion of Hindu country in the constitution by the then fascist King Mahendra had created serious divide in Nepal. But,now, u will see the intermingly of people from all castes , cultures and religion in an equal footing. Not that somebody else’s religion is deemed superior to other’s.
Dear daalji,
People are less concerned with the secular state, but at this moment about 50% of the peopleare suffering from hunger and poverty. Instead of addressing this issue urgently, they gone after Hindu state which could be addressed in CA also. But why?????
There is a saying” something are best left untouched,” a very applicable to proclamation which did not pass the test of referendum ( more 85% are Hindu) coupled with dictatorial announcement of Nepal being a Secular state.
Left untouched is best regarding Nepal, Why is it so objectional to be Nepal to be a Secular state?
How did the figure 85% are Hindus happen? when you already know the truth if you are truely Nepali.
What makes you think that proclamation made us dictorial?
Just don’t define things like you wish.
Dear fanta ji
There are always 2 kinds of problem
1) acute problem
2) chronic problem
acute problem , for example – acute appendicitis where u must be operated otherwise u might lose ur life
chronic problem , for example – gastric , for which u can deal with not much of urgency
so , here u can take “ the secularism problem and its ramification “ as acute problem
and the poverty and hunger problem as chronic problem.
Now tell me which one u should solve first ?